When my mother’s dryer decided to quit on her last year, my brother and I decided to purchase her a new pair to replace the broken dryer and old washer she had. We weren’t looking for a set with all the bells and whistles because we knew my parents would be leaving the set behind when they sold their condo within the year. My brother did some searching at local store’s and found the GE Electric Dryer on sale at Brandsmart and decided to go check it out. I left everything up to him as I was living in PA at the time and unable to look at the set he found.

The specific model that we bought was actually an electric dryer but they do offer gas dryers for the same price. The 6.0 cu. Ft. extra large capacity was a bit too large for just my mother and father but actually allowed my mother do less loads because she could put more laundry in a load. The dryer was very easy to install and my father had no problems whatsoever. GE recommends placing this dryer on a flat surface and not exposed to outside elements. This particular dryer came in a “white” color, which was perfectly fine with us because it matched the GE Top Load Washer that we also purchased.

The dryer has a 4-way exhaust: rear, right, left, and bottom. This allows the heat to escape from many sources to prevent it from overheating. I wouldn’t place this dryer in a very tight space because you want to allow enough room for the air to go. My aunt used to have a dryer in a very small spot and it used to become incredibly hot in that small room because it was enclosed. Another thing to think about when placing dryers in a small area is the higher amount of energy the dryer will use because of the enclosed space.

The features on this dryer are pretty basic but I expected no less from the $249 price tag. There is a control panel located along the back/top of the dryer. Three rotary knobs control every feature on the dryer. The first control is a start button that is just a simple knob that you just push to the right to start the drying process.

The second button is the fabric care knob that allows you to select from 4 temperatures:
~ Cottons (reg. heat - for regular to heavy cottons)
~ Easy Care (med. Heat)
~ Delicates (low heat)
~ Fluff (no heat)

The third knob allows you to control your drying cycles:
~ Cottons
~ Damp Dry
~ Dewrinkle
~ Easy Care
~ Quick Fluff
~ Timed Dry

This GE Electric Dryer also comes with an optional signal button if purchased. I really wish we would have known about it before purchasing because the buzzer is REALLY loud and long…very, very annoying to say the least. The loud signal wouldn’t be that much of a problem if it only buzzed once, but this dryer has an automatic cycle signal as one of the features. This means that at the end of each cycle there is approximately 15 minutes of no-heat tumbling after the laundry is dry. A reminder signal will sound periodically during this time to remind you to remove the laundry (I believe that loud buzzer goes off at least three times).

My clothes always came out nice and fresh smelling after drying. I did have to allow a few minutes of cool down because the clothes can become quite hot. I also never had to worry about wrinkling if I took the clothing out right away. Now, if I left the clothing in there while I went out and it was sitting inside for awhile, then I had wrinkle problems. Simple to rectify with an iron, but if you’re like me (and detest ironing) then I would remember to take my clothing out after cool down. I never had any problems with my clothing not drying. Even with a full load, my clothing always came out dry and not damp at all. That is something that is very important to me. It’s very annoying to have to turn the dryer on a couple times (and use more energy) just to dry one load of laundry.

This GE Electric Dryer also features an interior dryer drum light, which automatically goes on when you open the door. Always remember to unplug the dryer before replacing the light. Another feature is that the dryer door is reversible which can come in handy if you are putting this dryer against a wall. You can switch the door to open another way. We left it on the way it came because it opened correctly for our needs.

A few special precautions that I’m sure most people already know but are always good to mention. You should never reach into the dryer when the drum is moving. This is often prevented with most dryers because the dryer automatically stops spinning when the door is opened. I would never purchase a dryer that doesn’t do this for fear of children getting into it. And of course, you should never climb on top or stand on the dryer. I was often guilty of this because I was too lazy to go into the other room to grab the stepladder that my mother had and needed something on the high shelf above the washer/dryer pair. Bad me! Also, please do not put anything that will melt in high heat in this dryer. It can become really hot after running awhile so I would be careful. Things like rubber (on shoes) and some bath mats would be better left air-drying.

You can clean the outside and inside of the GE Electric Dryer with some kind of soft cloth. You should clean the lint filter before each load to prevent lint accumulation inside the dryer and also to allow the clothes to dry quicker. I usually clean it after taking each load out. I simply use the used fabric softener sheet and run it across the lint filter, which collects all of the lint and then I simply throw it away. Do not operate the dryer without the lint filter in place.

The metal duct and dryer power cord kit were not included with the purchase of this dryer. But we already had the duct because of the previous dryer so only had to purchase the power cord kit. Not a problem. You do receive a one-year warranty (for any part of the dryer which fails due to defect in materials or workmanship). What’s better is that labor charges are also free. Extended warranties also available for an additional charge. We never had to use the warranty for anything because my parents did not have a problem for the year that they owned the washer and dryer pair.

Overall, I have to say that for the money we spent, this dryer was an excellent purchase. We actually wouldn’t have hesitated to purchase it again (despite the signal) because it worked well. Perhaps I’d get the optional signal button next time. And maybe the optional dryer rack for sneakers and such. But it dryer is very easy to use and the controls are easy to understand. Most importantly, it works well.

General Electric Company
Louisville, KY 40225

~ Happy Drying!

Kim

Other Laundry Products:
GE Top Load Washer
All Dryer Sheets


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 249